Monday, 7 January 2013

I'm thrilled to have the stylish and gorgeous girls Julie Adams and Emma Scott founders of online magazine An Affair with Italy taking us to some of their favorite Florentine addresses. Julie and Emma travel the world capturing beautiful, heartfelt, inspiring and often unexpected stories about all things Italian. Having just returned from a recent trip to Italy, Julie and Emma share five reasons to fall in love with Florence.

1. The Bar at The Continentale, for the incredible view of The Ponte Vecchio.

On one of our first nights in Florence, Julie and I excitedly bounded up the stairs to the roof top bar at stunning hotel, The Continentale. We had been told the view was spectacular but actually... it was breathtaking. A drink at The Continentale roof top bar is a must do on any Florence trip.

I first discovered the small Italian soap and scent company Ortigia when I stumbled across the wonderfully vibrant shop on a previous trip to Florence. As a designer, I fell in love with the bold, hand-drawn illustrations of palm trees and leopards silhouetted against an array of Sicilian landscape-inspired bright colours. Initially, the visual brand drew me in, but it’s the product that keeps me coming back – beautiful scents, luxurious textures and formulas of natural indigenous Sicilian ingredients. I adore the translucent soap range, each tinted in a different colour (I’m collecting every fragrance). Ortigia is one of my first stops whenever I visit Florence.

3. For a local Florentine experience - visit Mercato di Sant’ Ambrogio in the early morning... and pop in to the famous Caffè Cibrèo for a coffee and brioche at the bar. For a truly authentic Florentine experience you can’t go past the Cibreo Cafe – incredible food and a wonderful atmosphere. You will feel like you are part of the Florentine world. And while you are there, watch the locals descend on the adjacent Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio markets for the freshest of local ingredients.

Make sure you don’t leave without your own bundle of goodies – perhaps a punnet of juicy tomatoes or a wonderfully pungent slice of mouth-watering cheese.

Anywhere I go I love a bit of vintage treasure hunting, so I was thrilled to discover the Florence 'mercantino' or flea market, found at Piazza dei Ciompi - a wonderful collection of shops and stalls selling antiques, art, old books and various vintage bits and pieces. The stalls are set up in the shadow of Vasari's Loggia del Pesce, but on the last Sunday of the month vendors come from outside Florence and the make-shift shops extend out to the surrounding streets.

5. For an unforgettable stay look no further than JK Place....your home away from home.

From the moment we walked through the doors of the elegant JK Place, Florence we knew we had found somewhere very special. Mr Ori Kafri, the genius hotelier behind the brand, truly understands service. His philosophy: when you come to JK Place consider it your home away from home. Mr Kafri has gone to great lengths to ensure at every moment of your stay you feel a warmth and care, normally reserved for moments with family and friends. Somehow you feel like you're the only ones in this stylish boutique hotel....with your own private service staff.